FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT CABLE BOX - PAGE 3

This racket did not involve bogus roof repairs or counterfeit Cuban cigars. It was contraband cable television boxes for $250 a shot, investigators said late last month. Endless hours of free HBO, Disney, Pay Per View, and other premium cable channels. Two Miami businessmen were arrested and charged for peddling the cable boxes, called descramblers. Thousands of people bought them from United Tropical Systems. Authorities said it was a $2 million-per-year business. "It was like a McDonald's.

Q. I recently moved to an apartment in Boca Raton. All of the apartments receive basic cable, which does not include any movies. One of the tenants who lives here offered to sell me a cable descrambler box which allows me to get free movies. Is it illegal to use this box? A. Yes. The use of a cable descrambler box is illegal. According to Chapter 812.15 (2) (a), Florida Statutes, no person shall intercept, receive or assist in receiving any communication service offered over a cable system unless specifically authorized to do so by the cable operator.

Coral Springs -- A remote-control cable television box was stolen between 3 and 11 p.m. Aug. 31 during the burglary of residence in the 1800 block of Northwest 83rd Drive, according to a police report.

THE PROBLEM Russell Greenberg, who lives west of Boynton Beach, contacted the South Florida Sun-Sentinel concerned about a broken cable-television box in his yard. The exposed electrical components in the box could become damaged and interrupt his cable service, he said. THE BACK STORY Greenberg said the cable box was struck by a lawn mower. The box serves his home and that of his neighbor. "Everything is exposed," Greenberg said, adding that he had called Comcast Corp. several times about the problem.

Ron Mogel, accused of illegally selling cable TV converter boxes, will have to spend at least nine more days in jail following a confrontation with a potential witness in his case. Broward Circuit Judge Lawrence Korda told Mogel, 42, of Fort Lauderdale, that he won`t be released from the Broward County Jail at least until Dec. 12. Korda revoked Mogel`s bond on Nov. 25 after hearing testimony that Mogel punched Robert A. Kennedy, 45, a tenant of Mogel`s and a potential witness in the cable TV piracy case.